Visiting but not working

We enjoyed Helene and Colin visiting over the weekend, bringing plans for their building application for Belstone which has to go before the National Park authorities. Colin is, of course, full of ideas and information, most specifically about renewables and clever materials, so we had a lot to talk about. We will definitely get a quotation from South West Heat Pumps for the ground source heat pump, etc, and may be able to benefit from a new type of roof panel they are developing which combines solar and PV. If we are the first in Wales to use it, we may get it at cost.

We all went over to the site on Saturday and they were complimentary about our choice.

Liz and I went again yesterday to meet Rob from Proarb to discuss desirable minor works on the lime tree. He thinks it's about 150 years old and expects it to live for at least as long again. He doesn't recommend reducing its height as that would produce cuts which might lead to infection. We agreed that it would be a good idea to cut back the branches which are now reaching the house opposite, and also a branch which looks as if it would impede machinery on site. He emailed a report and quotation which I have incorporated this evening into an application for work on a tree subject to a TPO - the copies I have to make and send involve 28 pieces of A4 going off to the council for an 8 week process which includes 6 weeks of local consultation!



I had an email from Adrian this morning showing that the firm which is going to do the site investigation work had been in touch. I spoke to their chap, who is going to meet me at the site tomorrow to plan for the works to be undertaken, 3m deep holes and all, next Wednesday. It will involve a pretty big digger and a 2000 gallon water bowser so that they can check the percolation rate of a possible soakaway arrangement for the rainwater which is not allowed to go into the sewer. Their desktop exercise suggests that we may have a problem, depending on how deep the clay is in relation to the underlying sandstone. We shall see.

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